


Our Promised Land

by LadyKnightOfHollyrose, smuttyandabsurd



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Final Fantasy AU, soldier!au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-24
Updated: 2013-07-24
Packaged: 2017-12-21 06:36:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/897004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnightOfHollyrose/pseuds/LadyKnightOfHollyrose, https://archiveofourown.org/users/smuttyandabsurd/pseuds/smuttyandabsurd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Training under Gilbert’s strict eye is the least of Arthur’s worries when the two of them stumble across something that will shake the very foundations of the Shinra Electric Power Company, and the world.</p><p>Prussia/England. SOLDIER!AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Our Promised Land

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter Summary: When taking the SOLDIER exams leaves Arthur hospitalised he thinks he’s lost his chance at his dream; so why is one from their ranks awaiting his recovery?

Shrill, frenzied beeping pierced his skull; a brand of pain he had never before encountered. It threw him head-first into consciousness, prompting his eyes to flicker open. Bad idea. Arthur screamed as white hot pain poured into his eyes and through his nerves.

Strong hands clamped down around his wrists, and the touch _burned_. Arthur could vaguely make out the sounds of cursing, clattering and perhaps a struggle above his own laboured breathing.

He felt a slight prickling sensation in his arm as it was held in place.

Then, blessedly, silence.

—

As Arthur swam through the haze of his mind and towards consciousness, he became aware of two things: firstly, he seemed to be in a medical facility of some sort. Secondly, he was not there alone.

The first he deduced from the steady beat of what must have been a heart monitor coming from somewhere on his left, coupled with the sterile non-scent of disinfectant that invaded his senses.

Thinking back, Arthur couldn’t actually remember any sustaining injuries that could have led to his hospitalisation; his last mission had been completed with only minor complications and he had even been commended on his role in particular for being instrumental to the mission’s success. The unit had returned to Headquarters for one last night of leave before those who were to participate in the next set of SOLDIER examinations would have t–

Arthur’s eyes flew open as he shot upright with a gasp.

He must have _failed._

He could remember attending the exams now; various written and physical assessments, designed to push applicants to their very limits and _further_. Most candidates never made it regardless of how many times they took the examinations and Arthur knew he should be proud of having lasted as long as he had – of how far he had gotten despite it being his first attempt…

His hands drew into tight fists in the sheets by his thighs as he tried to swallow down his bitter disappointment. “ _Fuck_.”

“Well, no one’s ever claimed that joining the ranks of SOLDIER was going to be _easy_.”

Arthur jerked, his head whipping around towards the drawl, fixing his gaze on the other occupant of the room. He’d been so preoccupied with berating himself that he had completely forgotten the soft, steady breathing that had woken him.

 _If I’m being this careless then perhaps it’s a good thing I didn’t make it_ , Arthur thought sourly.

Recognising the man’s uniform as that of a SOLDIER, Arthur’s back stiffened and he attempted to salute; a tugging sensation in his arm caused him to look down and scowl at the IV line keeping it in place.

The SOLDIER  gave him a wry grin. “At ease Corporal. Or I guess I should say ‘Arthur Kirkland, SOLDIER Third Class’, now.” The grin quickly morphed into a full blown smirk at the somewhat dazed expression that had no doubt stolen over Arthur’s face. “Yeah, they don’t tell you about the Mako hangover when you’re applying, do they?”

Arthur blinked at him. “You mean I made it?” His tone was incredulous, but he couldn’t stomp down the small well of hope rising in him…

Lambent eyes softened infinitesimally before rolling. “Try to keep up, kid, _Gott_. They told me you were one of the smarter ones.”

Pushing off from the wall he’d been leaning against, the SOLDIER pulled up a stool from one of the nearby counters and sat himself down beside the bed. Now that he was paying attention, Arthur thought the room looked more like a laboratory than a sick bay.

“Gilbert Weillschmidt, SOLDIER First Class. I’m the guy who’s going to be in charge of your training and I won’t hesitate to kick your ass into the Lifestream if I catch you slacking.”

Arthur’s fingers uncurled from the sheets he had been gripping so tightly until then to shake the hand that had been offered to him with the introduction. Strips of cloth came away in his fist where he had presumably torn the sheets with a strength he hadn’t known that he possessed.

Pink dusting his cheeks in embarrassment, mouth slightly agape in wonder, Arthur looked up again to see that Gilbert was snickering at him. Mako-laced eyes glowed at him from behind blond-silver hair, and Arthur thought he could spot flecks of crimson between the lightning-blue near the centre of his irises (presumably what was left of the natural colour of Gilbert’s eyes – Arthur spared a moment to wonder what his _own_ eyes were looking like now…).

As he took Gilbert’s hand in a firm grip, the other man continued. “Your new strength and heightened senses are also things I’ll be helping you with. It takes a while to get used to, but you’ll get the hang of it.” Gilbert’s grin was razor sharp as he went on, brimming with mirth, “Not that watching you sock that bastard Hojo wasn’t the funniest shit I’ve seen in a while, but you’ve got to have more control than that on the field.”

He let that sink in for a moment or two as Arthur’s eyes grew impossibly wide. “I did _what_?!”

Arthur’s pulse spiked, echoed swiftly by the heart monitor by his side. Gilbert was still cackling when harried-looking scientists came sprinting in and ushered him through the door. Before they could shove him out entirely Gilbert turned around to shoot Arthur another wide grin. “You and me, we’re gonna go far, kid. Report for duty as soon as this lot let you go and we’ll get you out of this shit tip and on missions again in no time.”

The door slammed shut behind Gilbert, and Arthur’s bed was instantly swarmed by scientists eager to examine and interrogate him.

If he wasn’t giving them (and their invasive questions) a hundred per cent of his attention, no one needed to know.

After all, he had made it.

_He was now a member of SOLDIER._

**Author's Note:**

> The idea for this was originally aroundthecoffeepot’s, and we had a lot of fun tossing around ideas when we met up a couple of weeks ago. We’ll be writing alternate parts/chapters.
> 
> (As a side, this was the my (LadyKnightOfHollyrose) brain’s first instinct for the summary of this part:
> 
> "Yer a SOLDIER, Arthur."  
> "I’m a what?!"
> 
> but it felt like it was coming off a little too much like crack!fic.)
> 
> Anyway, hope you’ve enjoyed the first part of Our Promised Land!


End file.
